Wisdom Gained and Lost

 

Do you ever ask for wisdom? What do you want to do with that wisdom?

Solomon was much wiser when he first became king than at the end of his reign.

 

When he asked for wisdom, it is summarized in 1 Kings 3:9  when Solomon had a dream and ask the Lord, "Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” The Lord was pleased and responded in verse 12 "Behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. ESV

 

Don't you wish that our government leaders would ask the Lord for wisdom to run the country and know good from evil? I sure do. But the story doesn't end there. Listen to how Solomon finished his life.

 

In 1 Kings 11:1 it says, "Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women." ESV The Lord had expressly commanded that Israelites not marry in these nations because they would turn them to worship their idols instead of the Lord. And indeed, Solomon made idols for his wives. In verse 5 it says he went after the these gods which means he worshiped them.

 

That was the beginning of Solomon's downfall as he threw the Lord's wisdom out the window. Apparently he didn't follow his own advice in Prov 4:5 "Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth." ESV

 

We are told in 1 Cor 10:11-12 that all the things written in the OT were written as examples. They were written as warnings so if we think we are standing firm, we need to be careful that we don't fall.

 

Following in verse 13, we are told that the Lord won't give us anything we can't handle but will give us the way out of temptations. So let us be careful to ask for wisdom but when we get it, to follow it.

 

For anyone who doesn't know Jesus as Savior, getting wisdom means getting saved first. Watch my video on Youtube, "The Gospel in 3 Minutes" if you want to find how to be saved.

 

May God Bless you.

 

After getting wisdom we need to follow it or we will fall into sin like King Solomon did. #bibledevotion #Solomon #government #wisdom #temptation #falling #leaders #repent #salvation #gospelin3minutes #jesussaves